Right-handed pitcher Armando Galarraga is training with the New York Yankees in Tampa and may sign soon, according to sports writer Augusto Cárdenas:

RHP Armando Galarraga is training with the NY Yankees in Tampa. He might sign with the team soon.

— Augusto Cárdenas (@ACardenas13) May 7, 2012

Galarraga, most notable for pitching the "imperfect game," is 30 and was released by the Baltimore Orioles last month after signing with the club in January. After spending three seasons with the Detroit Tigers, he was designated for assignment in the 2010-2011 off-season and then traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Kevin Eichhorn and Ryan Robowski.

Getting just eight starts and pitching only 42 innings with the D'backs, Galarraga saw very little time in 2011 before being designated for assignment in May. He became a free agent following the 2011 season.

While the Yankees have had their own struggles, it's not yet clear how they would use Galarraga, if at all.

-The Yankees took on the USF Bulls today and the result was completely predictable with a score of 11-0.

Notes of [little] significance: Ramiro Pena stole a base. Pena, Eduardo Nunez, and Zoilo Almonte, who also drove in 4 runs, tripled. Adam Warren and Brett Marshall pitched 2 innings each, allowing 1 hit a piece. Kevin Whelan walked no one, so I can only assume the end of times is near. The entire box score can be found here.

-Brian Cashman denied reports that the Yankees had made an offer to Cuban free agent Adonis Garcia.

The El Nuevo Herald claimed yesterday that the Yankees offered 6 years and $16 million dollars to the 26 year old, with the intention of using him as an outfielder. The A's were also reportedly interested, but later denied making an offer.

-Scott Boras says that Johnny Damon is home working out while waiting on a call from a team that needs a DH.

Boras also included that Damon was about to be the 3rd best DH in the American League, which sounds like typical Scott Boras nonsense to me. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, gives the former Yankee a job this season.

-Speaking of former Yankees, Jesus Montero hit a home run for the Mariners today in their game against Oakland.

This hurts my heart a little bit. For the record, he was also charged with an error behind the plate and had to leave the game after getting hit in the head with a foul ball. Take the good with the bad.

-In Bud Selig is trying to ruin baseball news, the higher seed will indeed start the Division Series on the road in 2012.

They will play a 2-3 series, instead of the usual 2-2-1 format. Glad we're really punishing those Wild Card teams! Sigh.

As the first day of March nears its end, Opening Day draws closer! Major League Baseball will be playing games by the end of the month, with Oakland and Seattle facing off in Japan at the Tokyo Dome on March 28 and 29. The Yankees will get a taste of baseball tomorrow when they play against the University of South Florida. No word yet on whether USF will confuse Colin Curtis for one of its own players.

Here's what's going on around the league:

• A.J. Burnett was struck in the eye by a botched bunt attempt in batting practice for the Pirates, and he will need immediate surgery to fix his fractured right orbital bone. He'll miss a few weeks and will not be ready for Opening Day. Those poor Pirates fans... what do you think, "Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke"?

Pat Lackey ‏ @whygavs

Seriously, being a Pirate fan is the worst.

• More injury news, though this really shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who follows baseball at this point--Grady Sizemore of the Indians had "minimally invasive" lower back surgery on Thursday, which requires eight to twelve weeks of recovery. Sizemore's injuries have turned him from Sports Illustrated Cover Boy and regular All-Star/MVP candidate to a limping 29-year old who has only played 210 games since 2009. What a shame.

• SB Nation's Grant Brisbee wrote about the five-year, $7 million contract extension that the Royals recently gave young catcher Salvador Perez. Its uniqueness is truly unprecedented, as Brisbee notes:

I've seen it referred to as an Evan Longoria/Matt Moore-type of contract. It isn't. Those are players who were expected to be stars but signed for regular-player money. This is a player expected to be a regular who signed for bargain prices in exchange for financial security. I don't remember a contract like it.

• Mike Axisa of MLB Trade Rumors previewed a possible extension for the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton ("Mike" wants to go by Giancarlo now). He could certainly command a Zimmerman-esque contract, especially since it has now been established after the team's zany offseason that they have money to spend.

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It has been a while since the 6 a.m. news, so here is what you may have missed in the mean time:

• The biggest news to happen today was the confirmation of playoff expansion for the 2012 season. Ken Rosenthal likes the new format, but I think there were other ways to make winning the division count more without watering down the playoff field. Hey, Selig, how about using some of your need to change things around for good, like expanding replay?
• Quick notes out of the Yankees camp today:

1. The Yankees do practice the flip play, Bobby Valentine.
2. Austin Romine might not see much Spring Training playing time because of his injured back.
3. RHP Dan Burawa, of all people, has impressed Girardi and a few hitters with his pitching.
4. Russell Branyan will also miss time because of back issues. We'll have to wait on the DINGERS!

• The Yankees released Cano's cousin, Burt Reynolds, today. Goodnight, sweet prince. We hardly knew ye.
• Mike Napoli intends to see what he can get in free agency this offseason. If he can come close to replicating his 2011, sign me up.
• Former Yankee A.J. Burnett injured his eye while bunting today and is flying back to Pittsburgh to have it examined. Sigh. There are so many reasons that this is absurd.

Good evening, Pinstripe Alley. Even though the off-season is mostly over, money is still being tossed around baseball!

• While some franchises that have languished in the second division over the past several years have been accused of unnecessary penny-pinching, one cannot say that the Washington Nationals are such a club. Last year, owner Ted Lerner doled out $126 million over seven years for Jayson Werth, and now, after extending newly-acquired Gio Gonzalez's contract for five years and $42 million, he has extended All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's contract through 2019 with a six-year contract extension worth $100 million. The deal will kick in after the 2013 season and it also includes a $24 million $16 million (correction) option for 2020, Zimmerman's age-35 season. It's hard to validate giving players such large deals, but when a team is dealing with someone who only just turned 27 and is the face of the franchise (and was its first ever draft pick), it's more understandable. They're trying to build something in the nation's capital with a core of Zimmerman, Strasburg, Gio, and Harper, and that's certainly a good sign for baseball's future there. Fangraphs did a good piece on the deal too and examined if it could work out.
  
• Maybe the baseball community should not be so fast as to list third baseman David Wright as just another casualty of the New York Mets' disaster. Team sources have said that upper management feels that Wright is a "special player" and that while they are not completely opposed to moving the 29-year old at the deadline this year, it would likely take "four Zack Wheelers" to do so. Hey, if Matt Kemp can get extended in the Dodgers' chaos, maybe the Mets can work something out.
• In, "well, of course" news, the Joel Zumaya era has already ended in Minnesota, as he blew out his right elbow ligament after only 13 pitches of batting practice. It was a high-risk/high-reward deal only guaranteed $400,000 for Zumaya, and the Twins lost. If this is it for the "Guitar Hero," at least he'll always have 2006, when he starred out of the Tigers' bullpen and blew away the American League.
• A bit more extension news... or should I say more "well, of course" news, Jacoby Ellsbury is only signed through 2013, but will be open to an extension with the Red Sox. He knows the Red Sox have a ton of money and that he is good so... duh. Also outfielders Josh Hamilton and Nick Swisher both expect to hit free agency after the season. That is where they would stand to make the most money so... yeah.
• In A.J. news, Buster Olney likes what he sees so far and thinks that he'll be "a big help" in the 'burgh. Not surprised. I wonder what Tripping Olney thinks...
• Back in New York, reserve outfielder Chris Dickerson cleared waivers and has been outrighted off the 40-man roster to AAA Scranton. I'm a little surprised that some poor team like the Astros didn't pick him up, but then again, would you pick up Dickerson? (pause)
• YANKEES BATTING PRACTICE. I'm an addict.

In his press conference today, Ryan Braun called MLB's drug testing policy, as it was applied to him, fatally flawed.

There is a zero percent chance we don't hear about this ad nauseam for the entirety of the 2012 season, but it's pretty unacceptable to have such important pieces of evidence be handled the way this was, whether you believe in Braun's innocence or not. MLB sort of threw Braun and themselves under the bus by saying they disagreed with the decision of the appeals process that they set forth. Why have an appeals process at all if it's not allowed to work?

Josh Hamilton doesn't plan on giving the Rangers a discount when it comes to contract extension negotiations.

"I love Texas, I love the fans, I love the organization, and I love my teammates. But I'm not going to sit here and say I owe the Rangers", Hamilton said. I'd personally be surprised to see Hamilton go to another team, but it sounds like the Rangers will really have to pay up if they want to keep him.

Justin Morneau acknowledged that the concussion he suffered in 2010 could end his career.

The former MVP has tried unsuccessfully to get back on the field ever since, and 2012 might be his last attempt at being able to play baseball again. Really unfortunate news. Seeing anyone's career ended by injury is always sad.

After coming to no extension conclusion this offeason, talks with Russell Martin won't continue until the season is over.

That's likely for the best, so that both parties can examine their options after the season plays out. So much can happen during the season, and new options can present themselves at any time, so it will be interesting to see how everything shakes out at that point.

Fangraphs released their Top 15 Yankee Prospects List and a very curious name comes in second.

Very curious, indeed. Manny Banuelos is first, Mason Williams is fourth, and Gary Sanchez is fifth. I don't put a lot of faith in prospect lists, but this one is rather different from the ones that have been released so far this offseason.

Feel free to use this thread to discuss whatever you'd like in the world of baseball or otherwise.

UPDATED: The A.J. Burnett trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates is now official, per Jon Heyman. MLB has approved the deal and Burnettt passed his physical. Huzzah!

Veteran outfielder Mike Cameron announced his retirement from the game after a 17-year career with eight different teams. Cameron's probably most well-known for being the centerfielder on the 116-win 2001 Mariners, and for hitting four homers in a May, 2002 game. Cameron was praised for his defense, and he won three Gold Gloves.

This is probably not news to most people since it happened a few days ago, but Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield also called it quits after a 19-year career that was a bit of a struggle near the end as he chased his 200th win. He certainly has to go down as one of the best knuckleballers in major league history, behind Hoyt Wilhelm and Phil Niekro, but he also allowed this somewhat significant homer.

On the word of Marc Carig, DH/outfielder Andruw Jones is reporting to Spring Training early to get his rehabbed knee back into shape. He had minor surgery on it in the offseason, but he should be fine.

Bill Madden of The New York Daily News wrote about some storylines to follow over the course of the season if you're interested in keeping track of that kind of stuff. I'm personally just hoping all we hear about is number 28 at the end of the season.

Despite the losses of Albert Pujols, Tony La Russa, and Dave Duncan, the St. Louis Cardinals and their new skipper, Mike Matheny, say that they're ready for the challenge of defending their World Series championship. St. Louis has never successfully repeated as champions and the last time they returned to the Series was 1968, when they lost to Mickey Lolich and the Tigers, but considering they play in the mediocre NL Central, they certainly have as much of a chance as anyone if they can squeak into the playoffs again.

Former Yankees no-hit pitcher and motivational speaker Jim Abbott will be releasing a book with Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports on April 3rd entitled Imperfect.

Oh hey, it's Pedro Feliciano in camp! I know he probably means well, but I wonder what must be going through his mind as he finishes year two of an $8 million deal that he has done literally nothing to earn except rehab. I also wonder what he's reading in that picture. Any thoughts?

As you know unless you have been hibernating, the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates are waiting on approval from MLB on the A.J Burnett trade for 2 of the Pirates' minor leaguers. Please take a moment to understand how awesome Brian Cashman is.

Michael Pineda wants to lose 10 pounds during Spring Training.

Probably not what Yankee fans are super excited to hear, but I have faith he'll take care of it.

Ivan Nova doesn't care where he pitches in the rotation, he just wants to pitch.

If he can come close to repeating his 2011 this season, the rotation will be really exciting to watch.

The Texas Rangers are on the verge of dealing Koji Uehara according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Some say they might use the money saved to sign Roy Oswalt, so we'll see what happens with that.

The player formerly known as Fausto Carmona has been in the Dominican Republic urging young players to not lie about their identity.

Good for him. It's a messy situation for all involved when the truth surfaces like it always does.